Yagura knew why the Third Mizukage was angry.
Kuriarare Kushimaru and Munashi Jinpachi were dead, and things had become irreparable and indifferent.
However, in their hands, there were two ninja blades far more precious than the two of them—Long Blade·Sewing Needle and Blastsword·Shibuki, and they certainly ended up in the hands of the Konoha Renegade Ninja Hyuga Ayane.
To reclaim these two ninja blades, the first step is to find the whereabouts of Hyuga Ayane before even considering how many ninjas need to be dispatched.
Otherwise, it's all empty talk.
Yagura did not feel frightened by the Third Mizukage's fury, but instead, his expression became more serious as he continued:
"There's another matter to report to you."
"Speak."
"These are letters from the Third Hokage of Konoha and the Witch Mire from the Land of Demons."
Yagura took out two letters and placed them on the table in front of the Third Mizukage.
The Third Mizukage opened the letters one by one without any expression and after reading them, his brows furrowed as well.
"What's the matter, Lord Mizukage?"
Yagura asked curiously.
"Kuraki and Chukichi took Ringo Ameyuri to Konoha to seek treatment from Medical Ninja Tsunade for Ringo Ameyuri's injuries."
"Is that so?" Yagura nodded thoughtfully and said, "Then what's the purpose of the Witch from the Land of Demons?"
"The Third Hokage mentioned that Tsunade was unable to treat Ringo Ameyuri's injuries and recommended seeking medical treatment at the Shion Flower Pharmaceutical Company in the Land of Demons. The Witch from the Land of Demons also inquired about the details of the matter because of this."
"I see. So, Ringo Ameyuri is recovering in the Land of Demons. In that case, I'll immediately send someone to eliminate her—"
A cruel and cold expression appeared on Yagura's baby-faced visage.
"Wait a minute."
The Third Mizukage stopped Yagura.
"Anything else, Lord Mizukage?"
"Let it go."
"Let it go? Does that mean... just let her be?"
Yagura looked in disbelief, his eyes widening.
"Too many have sacrificed..."
The Third Mizukage stood up, moved to the window, and looked at the village outside shrouded in thin mist.
In the faint mist, the Third Mizukage's cloudy eyes seemed to catch a hint of blood.
The expression in his eyes grew increasingly sorrowful.
"Teacher Gengetsu entrusted this village to me before his death, but I failed to lead it well. This is my responsibility."
As a disciple of the previous Mizukage, Hozuki Gengetsu, he took on the responsibility of Mizukage during Hidden Mist's crisis.
However, as the successor of the Third Mizukage, he failed to lead Hidden Mist's large force properly.
Hidden Mist is now mired in chaos and internal strife, a result of his hesitation and ineffective command.
Yagura stood silently behind him, not speaking.
He watched the weary and aging back of the Third Mizukage quietly.
At this moment, Yagura realized that the Third Mizukage was truly old.
◎
In the darkness.
An aura appeared, but it did not reveal who its owner was.
"My Lord."
Kuraki Jonin, who had secretly returned to the Hidden Mist Village through secret channels, knelt on one knee, saluting the figure in the darkness.
"The Third commanded Yagura to convey that you and Chukichi will not be held accountable for taking Ringo Ameyuri away without permission, but you must return the Thunder Blade to the village immediately without fail. Yagura is already preparing for departure; you should head to the Land of Demons swiftly to avoid raising suspicion."
"What about Jonin Ringo..."
"Kuriarare Kushimaru and Munashi Jinpachi were killed by the Konoha S-Class Renegade Ninja Hyuga Ayane, who exchanged the bounty on the underground black market. News will soon spread that Ringo Ameyuri is being treated in the Land of Demons and has passed away from her illness. It seems the Third truly has aged and become so indecisive."
The person in the darkness sighed.
Jonin Kuraki understood the implication.
The Third would no longer target Ringo Ameyuri and would cover up the matter by spreading the news of her passing away from illness, allowing Ringo Ameyuri to live the rest of her life peacefully in the Land of Demons.
"Yes, I'll convey this news to Jonin Ringo promptly and stabilize her emotions."
Since the village had made a new decision, Jonin Kuraki had no choice but to comply.
"By the way, is there really no way to treat Jonin Ringo's injuries?"
The person in the darkness couldn't help but ask again.
He truly didn't want to give up such an important and powerful Jonin.
"Yes. Neither Lady Tsunade nor the people in the Land of Demons can do more than alleviate her body's further deterioration."
Jonin Kuraki replied.
"What a pity."
He originally thought that Konoha's Tsunade could cure Ringo Ameyuri's injuries, which is why Kuraki and Chukichi took Ringo Ameyuri to Konoha to seek an opportunity, but the outcome remained unchanged.
"However..."
"However, what?"
"Konoha's Lady Tsunade mentioned that the S-Class wanted criminal Chiba Hakushi, who has defected from Konoha, could heal Jonin Ringo's injuries."
Jonin Kuraki conveyed Tsunade's words.
"Chiba Hakushi? I remember he was a medical ninja from the former Konoha White Fang Squad and is associated with Hyuga Ayane, who killed Kuriarare Kushimaru and Munashi Jinpachi..."
The person in the darkness pondered, seemingly considering something.
"Forgive my bluntness, my lord, but the chances of finding Chiba Hakushi are too slim."
Jonin Kuraki sighed.
In truth, if not for Tsunade mentioning this name, she wouldn't have known that the Konoha Renegade Ninja known as 'Chiba Hakushi' was also a top-notch medical ninja.
Moreover, he is a renegade ninja from Konoha, which surely wouldn't share his information with them.
The characteristics, abilities, and everything about him are shrouded in mystery. Trying to find him in the vast Ninja Realm is truly like looking for a needle in a haystack.
Not to mention, seeking help from a renegade ninja—if any of this leaks out, what will become of Hidden Mist's dignity? Where will their honor be?
"I understand. At this point, we have no choice. Hurry and leave now, so Yagura doesn't notice anything; he is much more ruthless and ambitious than the Third."
The person in the darkness seemed quite wary of Yagura.
"Yes."
Jonin Kuraki nodded but did not leave; there was a hint of hesitation on her face.
"What's the matter?"
"My lord, may I know your true identity?"
Jonin Kuraki didn't consider this request to be particularly impolite.
It had been a year since this mysterious person contacted her, always communicating from the shadows, never revealing themselves directly.
However, the resources and intelligence channels controlled by this person greatly shocked her.
In her impressions, even Yagura, a favored figure beside the Third Mizukage, couldn't possibly possess such powerful resources and connections.
Who among the elders could it be? No matter how Jonin Kuraki speculated, she couldn't determine which elder this mysterious 'lord' might be.
The person in the darkness paused.
"Yes, it's about time I revealed my true identity to you. Apologies for keeping it from you for so long; I was originally planning to tell you after my preparations were complete, but there's no harm in revealing it a bit early."
The person in the darkness emerged halfway out of the shadows.
Jonin Kuraki's beautiful eyes widened instantly, her expression as if she had seen a ghost, her mouth agape and stuttering:
"You, you are..."
◎
After dealing with the matter of Kuriarare Kushimaru and Munashi Jinpachi, Hakushi not only obtained all kinds of secrets and ninja techniques from their minds but also gained a deeper understanding of the current state of decay in the Hidden Mist Village.
Hidden Mist Village is now a place where ninjas are killing each other daily, and it seems this is connected with the Daimyo and various nobles of the Land of Water.
All in all, the entire Land of Water can be described with one word—chaos.
Because of this, Hakushi needed to reorganize the arrangements of personnel within the Hidden Mist Village.
He was also contemplating whether to withdraw his men from there.
If the internal strife of such magnitude continues to escalate in the Hidden Mist Village, it will inevitably lead to a large-scale internal war.
While Hakushi was pondering, the door was knocked.
"Come in."
Personnel from the Intelligence Department entered, their faces showing signs of concern, and placed a scroll in front of Hakushi.
"Lord Hakushi, this is for you."
"For me?"
Hakushi was slightly taken aback.
The outside of the scroll was inscribed vertically with the words 'For the Honorable Chiba Hakushi to Open Personally.'
With narrowed eyes, Hakushi immediately unfurled the scroll and quickly scanned its contents.
The number of words on the scroll was not large, but the information it contained was so extensive that it left Hakushi's mind in turmoil—
—Please meet in the Land of Rainbow.
At the very end, a name was openly signed, a name that made Hakushi widely known, along with the symbol of Hidden Mist Ninja.